Thermit welding apparatus



June 9, `1942.

INVENTOR WALTER R. EVANS BY Mn, JagW ATTORN Y PatentedjJ-unc 1942 'rmaamr WELDING APPARATUS walter a. Evans, Bartlesville, ou, assignmu Phillips Petroleum Delaware Company, a corporation of Application-January 21,1941. serial No.' 315,33:

` (onza-ssi 6 Claims.

This invention relates to welding and more particularly to a thermit welding apparatus for the welding of hollow members such as oil well casing. Y During the life of a producing oil well, which usually extends over a long period of years, the casing often develops leaks in its side walls, or lthe casing may have been perforated to allow 4fluids to enter or to leave thereby. Later, it may be desirablevto plug or seal these openings in the casing. The present practice of repairing casing consists essentially of running a cement retainer below the opening in the casing and forcing a neat cement slurry under pressure through the opening and into the adjacent formation and an# nular space between the casing and wellv bore proper. .Upon setting, this cement usually forms a bond with the pipe which prevents any fluids s from entering or leaving the casing. 'I'he cement remaining Within the casing and the cement retainer are then` drilled out. This method is disr .advantageous as the bond is sometimes incomplete, andlthe cost of repairing casing by this method is usually considerable and in many cases uneconomical.

I propose to repair casing andthe like by a d'evice Vwhich eliminates the useof the foregoing apparatus by building up the side walls of the casing with a similar material to that used in the manufacture of this casing. This invention consists essentially of an apparatus which can be lowered in the well to a point opposite a break or perforation in a casing and a. means for operating the apparatus to form a molten metal from material contained therein. heat content of the molten metal, it will disintel. grate the apparatus at the predetermined places,`

heat the casing to the proper welding temperal ture, and weld a layer of metal onthe internal surface of the casing. t i

While the expression thermit may be strictly defined as being a mixture of finely divided alu.

vision of a thermit welding apparatus for Welding hollow cylindrical members, including oil well casing and the like.

Additional objects and advantages will be apparent to'p'ersons skilled in the .art by reference to the following description and annexed draw- By virtue of the ing, which is an elevation view of my invention partly in cross section.

Referring to the drawing, I have designated a thermit welding apparatus housing or receptacle by the numeral I. The housing consists of a metal cylindrical wall 2, a cap l having a vent 4 that seals the housing under normal pressure and temperature conditions, a heat resistant clay base 5, which is grooved at 6 to receive a split ring washer 1 and at 8 to receive the bottom of metal wall 2. Cap l, base 5 and the upper part of the cylinder wall 2 are lined withaV heat insulating material 9, such as asbestos.

. bolt I0 extends throughV capI 3 and base 5 and is threaded at the top and bottom so that a, washer II and nut I2 cooperate with a second washer I3 4 and a second nut It to assemble housing I. A fire clay casting I5 which supports electrical resistance coils i6 is placed within the housing concentric with eye-bolt i0. The outside surface of the clay casting and the internal surface of wall 2 form a space I1 into which a finely divided mixture of thermit is placed when the housing is assembled. It is to be noted that the chemical reaction takes 'place within this space.

I have shown the assembled housing I suspended within an oil well casing I8 which extends downwardly from the surface of the ground so-that the non-insulated portion of the cylindrical wall 2 is opposite the break or perforaations I9.in the casing. The housing is lowered in the usual manner from the surface of the ground by a cable 20 which is secured to eyebolt I0. An electrical conductor cable 2I connects resistance coils I6 with a suitable source of electricity (not shown) atthe surface of the ground. Cable 2| is unspooled simultaneously with cable 20 as the housing is lowered into casing I8. Split-ring washer 1 expands outwardly against the casing to form a retaining space22 which is closed at the bottom by the split-ring washer. v l

In the practice of my invention, the location of perforations I9 is determined prior to running my device into casing I8. After the depth of the perforations is known, the device is assembled` An eyeby heating the mixture by means of the electrical resistance, coils I6. The reaction between the iron oxide and aluminum to form pure metallic I iron takes place very rapidly with the resulting temperature of the molten'mass being equal to nearly twice the meltingpoint of iron. Y Thus, the heat oi the molten iron will be partially dissipated to the cylinder wall 2, causing it to melt.

, sive before the housing is melted, vent 4 allows the gases and slag to leave space I'i.

During the welding operation, casing It will expand, especially in the region near perforations I9, because of the heat of the molten material from which this weld is made. Due to the weight of the casing, this expansion will tend to thicken the sidewalls of the casing, as there will be no appreciable upward movement of the casing. As the casing is suspended in the usual manner at the surface of the ground, there `will be no downward movement of the casing when the weld cools. To relieve the great stresses which would develop when the Weld cools, the

casing is lowered a predetermined distance. After the welding is completed, any rough edges may be removed by amilling tool.

From the Aforegoing, it is believed that the construction, operation, and advantages of my present invention will be readily comprehended by persons skilled in the art. It is to be clearly understood, however, that various changes in carrying out the process and in the apparatus set forth above may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, it being intended that all matter contained in the description or shown in the drawing shall be in terpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

I claim: 1. In apparatus adapted to be lowered into a conduit that extends downwardly in a well bore for carrying out a thermit Welding operation within the conduit, the combination comprising a receptacle for containing a supply of thermit, said receptacle including a heat resistant base, a shell extending upwardly'of the base, and heat resistant 'material on the inside of the upper portion of the shell, means for effecting an adequate vseal between the receptacle and the inner surface oi the conduit, and a heating element within the receptacle.

2. In apparatus adapted to be lowered into a conduit that extends downwardly in a well bore for carrying out a thermit welding operation within the conduit, the combination comprisingv a receptacle for containing a supply of thermit, said receptacle including a heat'resistant base, a shell extending upwardly of the base, and heat resistant material on the inside of the ,upper portion of the shell, means for effecting'. an adequate seal between the base of the receptacle and the inner surface ofthe conduit, and a heating element within the receptacle.

3. In apparatus adapted to be lowered into a conduit that extends downwardly in a well bore for carrying out a thermit welding operation within the conduit, the combination comprising a receptacle for containing a supply of thermit, said receptacle including a heat resistant base,

a shell extending lupwardly of the base, and

heat resistant material on the inside of the upper portion of the shell, a ring surrounding the base of the receptacle, said ring being adapted to engage the inner surface of the conduit to form an adequate seal between the base and the conduit, and electrical heating means within the receptacle.

4. In apparatus adapted to be lowered into a conduit that extends downwardly in a Well bore for carrying out a thermit welding operation within theconduit, the combination comprising a receptacle for containing a supply of thermit, said receptacle including a heat resistant base, a metallic tubular side Wall, and a top wall, heat resistant material on the interior of the upper portion of the receptacle, a heat resistant tu.- bular member extending from the base to the top wall and spaced from the side wall, a heating element supported by the tubular member in the lower portion of the space between-the tubular member and the side wall, and means for effecting an adequate seal between the receptacle and the inner surface of the conduit.

5. In apparatus adapted to b'e lowered into a v conduit that extends downwardly in' a well bore for carrying out a thermit welding operation a receptacle forcontaining a supply of thermit, said receptacle including a heat resistant base, a metallic tubular-side wall, and a top wall, heat resistant material on the interior of the upper portion of the receptacle,.a heat resistant tubular member extending from the base to the top wall and spaced from the side wall, a heating element supported by the tubular member in the lower portion of the space between the tubular member and the side wall, and means for effecting an adequate seal between thev base of the receptacle and the inner surface of the conduit.

6. In apparatus adapted to be lowered into a conduit that extends downwardly in a well bore for carrying out a thermit welding operation within the conduit, the combination comprising a receptacle for containing a supply of thermit, said receptacle including a heat resistant base, a metallic tubular side wall, and a top wall, heat resistant material on the interior of the upper portion of the receptacle, a heat resistant tubular member extending from the base to the top of the conduit to form an adequate seal be-x tween the base and the conduit.

WALTER R. EVnNS. 

